Fénix e Ilusiones : 15 years of creative freedom

Post navigation

It has been a journey, a challenge, a road that has taken us where we never imagined we would go. Fifteen years have passed since Fénix was born in the Colina 1 prison, Ilusiones was born in 2005, and together the groups have created 14 plays, 3 radio plays and have performed 65 times outside the prison. The work has been continuous and ever-developing in response to the group’s needs and proposals. This is how we arrived at the direct work with young detainees, which is now a central focus of both Fénix e Ilusiones and Colectivo Sustento.

The celebration in the Colina 1 prison brings together three theatre groups directed by Colectivo Sustento: Fénix e Ilusiones (extract from their new play about truncated childhood), Classroom 2 (theatre group from the prison high school) and Fénix e Ilusiones en Libertad (men who were members of Fénix e Ilusiones and are now in freedom, with their remount of the 2012 play “Chronicles of a Foretold Ignorance”). We have received greetings from around the world, and to finish off the celebration, there will be the iconic open forum that is a part of all our public events, where we share experiences and reflections about community theatre in prison and beyond, and the social role of theatre in general.

A big thank you to all Fénix e Ilusiones past and present, to members of Teatro Pasmi and Colectivo Sustento, and to all the collaborators and supporters that have made this experience what it is today.

“The struggle for hope is permanent… and it is not a solitary struggle.” (Paulo Freire)